Software · head to head
Planning Pod vs Guest Manager
The short version
- Only Guest Manager has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Planning Pod subscription pricing is metered by concurrent event volume rather than seats: the vendor states "Subscription pricing is based on the number of events your venue manages at any given time" and that "most single-location venues land between $199 and $319 per month."; Guest Manager usage is metered in credits consumed by check ins, emails and badges, so cost scales with activity rather than with the subscription alone
- They diverge on capability: Planning Pod covers Lead management, Guest Manager covers Registration.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Planning Pod and Guest Manager actually diverge.
| Attribute | Planning Pod | Guest Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $59/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Founded | 2012 | 2014 |
Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Planning Pod
- Lead management
- Floor plans
- Budgeting
- Timeline
- Client portal
- QuickBooks
- Stripe
- PayPal
Only in Guest Manager
- Registration
- QR check-in
- Badge printing
- Attendance tracking
- Guest communication
- Eventbrite
- Mailchimp
- Google Sheets
Both cover
- Zapier
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Planning Pod
- Event planningnot Guest Manager
- Ticket salesnot Guest Manager
- Attendee managementnot Guest Manager
- Virtual eventsnot Guest Manager
- Event marketingnot Guest Manager
Guest Manager
- Guest list check in on tablets at eventsnot Planning Pod
- Selling and scanning event ticketsnot Planning Pod
- Printing name badges onsitenot Planning Pod
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Planning Pod
- Subscription pricing is metered by concurrent event volume rather than seats: the vendor states "Subscription pricing is based on the number of events your venue manages at any given time" and that "most single-location venues land between $199 and $319 per month."
Guest Manager
- Usage is metered in credits consumed by check ins, emails and badges, so cost scales with activity rather than with the subscription alone
- Check in devices are capped at 2 on On Demand, 4 on Planner and 8 on Professional
- Ticket fees are $1.00 per ticket on On Demand and Planner and fall to $0.50 only on the $199 per month Concierge plan
- Priority support and a dedicated account manager are Concierge and Custom only
- The free trial covers only the first 50 guest check ins
- The Custom plan is priced by quote
Pricing, plan by plan
Planning Pod
$59/month- Planner$59/month
- Basic planning tools
- 5 events
- Email support
- Professional$99/month
- Unlimited events
- Floor plans
- Budget tracking
- Business$199/month
- Team features
- Client portal
- API access
Guest Manager
Free- FreeFree
- 100 guests
- Basic check-in
- Email support
- Pro$79/month
- Unlimited guests
- Badge printing
- Analytics
- Enterprise$199/month
- API access
- White-label
- Priority support
Which should you pick?
Choose Planning Pod if
- You need lead management.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want floor plans.
Choose Guest Manager if
- You need registration.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want qr check-in.
Questions people ask
- Is Planning Pod or Guest Manager better?
- Neither clearly leads. Planning Pod starts at $59/month and Guest Manager at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Planning Pod or Guest Manager?
- Guest Manager has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $59/month for Planning Pod and Free for Guest Manager.
- Does Planning Pod or Guest Manager run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Guest Manager for free?
- Yes. Guest Manager has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Planning Pod starts at $59/month.
- What is Planning Pod best used for?
- Planning Pod is most often used for event planning, ticket sales, attendee management, virtual events. Of those, event planning and ticket sales are not what Guest Manager is typically brought in for.
- What can Planning Pod do that Guest Manager cannot?
- Planning Pod covers Lead management, Floor plans, Budgeting, Timeline. Guest Manager covers Registration, QR check-in, Badge printing, Attendance tracking. Both handle Zapier, Web support, Ios support, Android support.